Ensilage cutter



Oct. 6, H. B. SPERRY ENSILAGE CUTTER Filed April 2 1923 INVENIDE HERBERT ELSPERRY Ely m-wyM. Y

Patented Get. 6,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HERBERT B. .SIERRY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO APPLETON MANUFACTUR- YING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

ENSILAGE CUTTER.

Application filed April 20, 1923.

T 0 all w/wcm't may concern Be it known that I, HERBERT B. SPERRY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ensilage Cutters, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to ensilage cutters, and more particularly to the frame construction thereof.

Considerable difficulty has been experienced by manufacturers in the design of a proper main frame construction for ensilage cutters of the type in which the cutter head and fan'casing extend transversely with respect to the longitudinal direction of the machine.

In this type of machine the axis of the cutter head and the fan coincide with the longitudinal center of the machine and the trough together with its conveying mechanism for conveying the material to be cut to'the cutter head must-necessarily b positioned to one side of the longitudinal centerof the machine in order to convey the material to its proper position to be cut by the knives of the cutterhead. The mounting of the trough together with its conveying mechanism on one side of the .longitudinal'center of the machine and supporting the forward side thereof on the axle of the front steering truck has :caused in many instances a sagging of the :outer side of the conveying trough and in som cases has distorted the whole main frame construction of the machine.

It is therefore the object ofmy invention to overcome these difficulties by providing a novel construction by means of which the possibility of distorting the .main frame is entirely eliminated and inaddition thereto I have provided means for adj ustingithe position of theconveyor troughat its outer end for aligning the same with respect to the main frame.

This object together ,withiother obj cots are obtained by providing a construction in which a tubular main frame member extend ing substantially throughout the entire length of the machine and to which .at its forward-end thereof I have provided means for adjustably supporting the conveyor trough.

Referring to the drawings, Fig. 1 is a top plan 'view of the type of .ensilage cutter Serial No. 633,391.

' now in general use embodyingmy improve ment.

Fig. 2is a side elevational View of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a front-"elevational view showing the manner in whichthe conveyor-trough is supported on the tubular frame.

Fig. 4 is a cross sectionalview taken on line 4-401? Fig. '1 looking in the direction of the arrows,'and

Fig.5 is an enlarged-detail viewshowing the manner in which the tubular :frame 1ronember is secured to the main frame mem- The particular construction to which my invention applies comprises a main frame member 10, (which consists of achannel-member mounted on the usual rear supporting wheels 11. The main frame 10 is connected to the axle 12 by oppositely disposed vertical standards :13. These standards are braced to'the body of the machine by upwardly diverging base members 14 and member 15, which is connected to the tubular frame member hereinafter described. Mounted within the channel main frame member 10 and secured therein is the usual knife head or fan casing 16, which is positioned transversely with respect to the longitudinal direction of the machine. Extending forwardly from, and secured to, the main frame member 310 by means of a bracket 1.7 is a supplemental frame member 18 having a transversely disposed portion 19. Secured totheopposite sides of-the main framemember :10 and -connected to the supplemental frame member 18 are side bars '20 and 21. Secured to the forward side of the main frame member 10-by means of bolts 22 is the U.-sh-aped-angle member 23lso formed at its lower end '24: as to conform with and havewsecured therein a tubular frame member 25, which extends forwardly and occulower end thereof for pivotally connecting the axle 32 of the front truck wheels 33. The frame construction just describedforms a very rigid and efficient construction and one which will stand considerable torsional strain without affecting or distorting the frame structure. 1

In connection with the above improved construction I have also provided a novel arrangement by means of which the conveyor trough is supported to one side of the longitudinal center of the machine and also means are provided in connection with this arrangement by which the outer end of the trough may be properly adjusted in the constructing and assembling of these machines so that the trough can be properly aligned with respect to the tubular frame member and be clamped in such position and thus prevent the sagging of the outer end of the trough. This mechanism comprises two flat strap members 34 and 35, the upper ends of these members being secured to the lower portion 36 of the trough 37 by means of bolts 38. The strap is bent downwardly at 39 and curved at this point to conform to the curvature of the tubular member 25 and terminates at its lower end in a vertically disposed portion 40. Similarly the strap 34 is curved outwardly at 41 in a manner to be spaced from the strap 35 and is bent down wardly and curved at 42 to conform to the curvature of the pipe 25 and engage the same at a point opposite the curved portion 39 of the strap 35. The lower end of the strap 34 terminates in a vertical portion 43. These lower portions and 43 of the straps 35 and 34, respectively, are provided with 40 registering apertures through which a bolt 44 clamps these lower portions in a manner to firmly secure the straps 34 and 35 to the tubular member 25. In order to prevent the straps 34 and 35 from collapsing I have interposed a spacing tube 45 clamped into position by a bolt 46 extending through the straps 34 and 35, respectively, as shown in Fig. 4.

In the manufacture or assembling of these machines it becomes necessary to adjust the conveyor trough in order to align the trough with respect to the frame or tubular me-mber 25, and to accomplish this adjustment I have provided a slot 47 in the strap 34 adjacent the point where the strap 34 engages the tubular member 25 Through this slot a bolt 48 extends entering registering apertures 49 in the tubular member 25 and passing through an aperture 50 in the strap 35. From this construction. it will be seen that if the bolt 48 is loosened, the conveyor chute together with the straps 34 and 35 may be adjusted by reason of the slot 47 in the strap 34 and that when the proper adjustment of the chute is had. the bolts 48 and 40 may be tightened and thereby securely fasten the straps 34 and 35 to the tubular member'25 and thus the conveyor chute will be maintained in a fixed position with respect to the tubularmframe member as well as the main frame.

The rearward end of the chute 37, it will be understood, is mounted and secured to the transverse portion 19 of the supplemental frame member 18 in any well known manner.

From the above description, it will be readily seen that I have provided a construction in which the conveyor chute is rigidly and adjustably supported in its proper position and in this construction the possibility of twisting or distorting the frame is entirely eliminated by reason of my improved tubular frame member extending substantially throughout the entire length of the machine.

While in the above description I have described but one embodiment which my invention may assume in practice, it will of course be understood that the same is capable of modification and that modification may be employed without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention as expressed in the following claims.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A frame construction for an ensilage cutter comprising a main frame member, supporting wheels therefor, a tubular frame member secured to said main frame member, and a conveyor trough adjustably secured to and positioned to one side of said tubular member.

2. A frame construction for an ensilage cutter, comprising a main frame mounted on supporting wheels a supplemental frame member secured to said main frame member and extending forwardly therefrom, a longitudinally extending tubular frame member secured to and spaced from each of the aforesaid frame members, and a conveyor trough having one end thereof secured to said supplemental frame member and the other end thereof adjustably secured to said tubular member.

3. A frame construction for an ensilage cutter, comprising a main frame mounted on supporting wheels, a supplemental frame member secured to said main frame member and extending forwardly therefrom, a longitudinally extending tubular frame member secured to and spaced from each of the aforesaid frame members, a conveyor trough having'one end thereof secured to saidsupplemental frame member and extending forwardly and parallel to said tubular member, and means comprising two straps secured to the forward end of said trough and adjustably secured to said tubular member for adjustably aligning and supporting the forward end of said trough with respect to said tubular member.

4. A frame constructionfor an ensilage cutter, comprising a main frame mounted on supporting wheels, a supplemental frame member secured to said main frame member and extending forwardly therefrom, a longitudinally extending tubular frame member secured to and spaced from each of the aforesaid frame members, a conveyor trough having one end thereof secured to said supplemental frame member and extending forwardly and parallel to said tubular member, and means comprising tWostraps secured to said conveyor trough, one of said straps being adjustably secured to said tubular member for adjusting and aligning said trough with respect to said tubular member.

5. A frame construction for an ensilage cutter, comprising a main frame mounted on supporting wheels, a supplemental frame member secured to said main frame member and extending forwardly therefrom, a longitudinally extending tubular frame member secured to each of the aforesaid frame members, a conveyor trough having one end thereof secured to said supplemental frame member and extending parallel to said tubular frame member, means comprising two straps secured to said conveyor trough and adjustably secured to said tubular frame member for adjusting said trough with respect to said tubular member, and means for spacing said straps from each other for preventing the collapsing of said straps.

6. A frame construction for an ensilage cutter, comprising a main frame mounted on supporting Wheels, a supplemental frame member secured to said main frame member and extending forwardly therefrom, a longitudinally extending tubular frame member secured to and spaced from each of the aforesaid frame members, a conveyor trough having one end thereof secured to said supplemental frame member and extending forwardly and parallel to said tubular member, and means comprising two straps embracing said tubular member and secured to said conveyor trough, one of said straps having a slotted aperture therein whereby said straps may be adjustably secured to said tubular member.

7. A frame construction for an ensilage cutter, comprising a main frame mounted on supporting wheels, a supplemental frame member secured to said main frame member and extending forwardly therefrom, a longitudinally extending tubular frame member secured to and spaced from each of the aforesaid frame members, a conveyor trough having one end thereof secured to said supplemental frame member and extending forwardly and parallel to said tubular member, means comprising two straps secured to said conveyor trough and adjustably secured to said tubular member and means for clamping said straps on said tubular member.

8. A'frame construction for an ensilage cutter, comprising a main frame mounted on supporting 'Wheels, a supplemental frame member secured to said main frame member and extending forwardly therefrom, a longitudinally extending tubular frame member secured to and spaced from each of the aforesaid frame members, a conveyor trough having one end thereof secured to said supplemental frame member and extending forwardly and parallel to said tubular member, a plurality of straps secured to the forward end of said trough and means formed as an integral part of said straps for clamping said straps to said tubular member.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, on this 17th day of April A. D. 1923.

HERBERT B. SPERRY. 

